Inspecting your delivery

This is the page worth reading before you ever need a claim. The strength of a claim is mostly decided in the few minutes between the truck arriving and you signing for it. Nothing you do afterwards recovers a signature given too early.

Why the signature matters so much

When you sign the Proof of Delivery, you are stating what condition the freight arrived in. A POD signed with no exceptions written on it is a clean POD, and a clean POD is the carrier's strongest evidence that they delivered your freight intact. If damage is discovered afterwards, the argument becomes whether it happened in transit or after delivery, and that is a much harder argument to win.

Damage noted on the POD at the time of delivery does the opposite. It puts the carrier on notice while their driver is still standing there, and it usually gives you a longer window to file. How much longer depends on the carrier's own tariff, so if you are unsure where you stand, contact us with the shipment number and we will tell you what that carrier's terms say.

What to check before you sign

1. Count the handling units

   Count the pieces against the Bill of Lading before anything else. Labels are numbered "1 of 3", "2 of 3" and so on, so a missing number is easy to spot. A shortage found now is a note on the POD; a shortage found tomorrow is a dispute.

2. Walk around each pallet

   Look at all four sides and the top. Crushed corners, torn stretch wrap, a leaning stack, punctures, water staining, and a pallet whose boards have broken are all worth writing down, even when the product inside looks fine.

3. Open what you reasonably can

   You are not expected to unpack a full pallet on the dock. But if the outer packaging is damaged, look inside where you can get to it. Damage to the box is a reason to look at the product.

4. Write the exception on the POD, then sign

   Be specific and factual. "2 of 6 cartons crushed on top, contents dented" is useful. "Damaged" on its own is weak, and "subject to inspection" is treated by most carriers as saying nothing at all. Note the piece numbers affected.

5. Photograph it before it moves

   Take photos while the freight is still on the truck or right beside it, including the labels and the damaged packaging. Photos taken later are still useful, but photos taken at the dock are the ones that answer "when did this happen".

Concealed damage found after delivery

Concealed damage is damage you could not reasonably have seen at delivery, found once the freight was unpacked. It is claimable, but the burden is on you to show it arrived that way, so the evidence has to do more work.

• Stop unpacking and photograph everything. The product, the inner packaging, the outer packaging, and the labels, all together where possible.
• Keep all of it. Do not throw out the pallet, the box, the cushioning, or the damaged product. The carrier or the insurer may want to inspect it, and disposing of it can end a claim.
• Tell us as soon as you find it. The clock on a concealed damage claim runs from delivery, not from when you opened the box, so time already spent is already gone.

Tell the person receiving the freight

Most clean PODs on damaged freight are signed by someone who did not know any of the above: a receiving clerk, a warehouse hand, or a customer of yours taking a direct shipment. They sign to get the driver moving. If the delivery is going to an address you do not control, brief whoever is receiving it. See Instructions for the delivery contact for a version you can forward.